Sea Blue To Icy Gray
by all-mirth-no-matter
Summary: As the Jewel of the Realm sails into Arendelle's harbor, Queen Elsa grows anxious about seeing its Captain, Liam Jones, for the first time since she was crowned and her powers were revealed. Liam/Elsa AU. Fluffy one-shot.


**Disclaimer: This is a Liam/Elsa AU where there was no curse (Emma is a princess), the Frozen timeline and Navy Jones' timeline line up (Elsa, Anna, Liam, Killian, and Emma are all roughly born within the same decades worth of time), the Tangled family are related to the Frozen characters, and Elsa and Anna still don't know about Ingrid. I think that about covers it. This is just a fun one-shot because there's not enough of these two in my life. Everything belongs to Disney, ABC, and Once Upon a Time... which are basically all the same thing. Enjoy!**

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><p>The sound of her heels clicked an echo of nerves through the high corridors as she paced back and forth in front of the wall-length windows overlooking the harbor. The snow flurries clouding around her gave proof to her worries, the small snowflakes nearly matching up perfectly with the stars clouding the sky on the other side of the glass. She always felt a peaceful calm in the company of the night sky. But it would be fleeting soon; and with it would beckon the arrival of the sun, and all that dared to follow it.<p>

She heard the faint cry of the old doors down the hall open and close, a quiet shuffle of socks growing closer.

"Elsa?" her sister asked, wrapping the thin blanket around her as she rubbed her eyes to see better. Her chestnut red hair was sticking up in all kinds of strange angles, evidence that she'd just come straight from her bed becoming clearer.

At the sight of her sister, Elsa realized just how tightly she'd been clinging to herself. "Anna, it's early. You still have a couple hours before you'll need to be awake. You should go back to bed."

Anna ignored her sister's order, furrowing her brow at the flakes that Elsa quickly shoo'd away. "You're sad… and fully dressed. Do you always wake this early? That would surely bring on cause for sadness, if you ask me. But you're not me – and you're awake and sad. What's wrong?"

"Nothing," she tried to say, but her sister knew better. Before Anna was able to open her mouth and ask question after question, Elsa rose her hand and continued. "It's just nerves. We have visitors coming tomorrow and I'm just uncertain of my confidence when we go to engage in our diplomatic discussions."

Anna blinked a few times, then shook her head. "It's just our sister kingdom, they've come to visit plenty of times."

"Yes, but never with me as Arendelle's Queen," she answered plainly, the heart of her worry. Truly, it'd been only a year since her coronation… a year since her ice powers were revealed to the land. And in that span, this was the first time that the King and Queen of Corona had come to the kingdom. "They were tremendous help in providing me the tools to learn what I needed to rule after we lost mother and father; but what if they, too, are as wary as our parents were toward magic?"

Her younger sister reached out to embrace Elsa, and she already began to feel a wave of calmness transfer through her. "They're our family, granted they're sort of distant family. But still! They've always been kind and they love us. If they're worried, then we'll just have to show them they have nothing to be scared of. Right? Maybe we can surprise them with an impromptu ice show, you know really dazzle them right away. Or, is it technically impromptu if we plan it now? Maybe I can get Kristoff to bring in a bunch of ice and we can sort of decorate the castle in an ice theme and act like the ice is just no big thing. Or maybe –"

Elsa chuckled at her sister's attempt to help, knowing that this could go on for much longer if she didn't stop her. She spun Anna around and directed her back toward the door she'd come through. "Go on back to bed, Anna. You haven't been getting much rest lately since you've started planning your wedding. Don't worry, I'll get you when everyone arrives; you won't miss a thing."

This time she followed her sister's advice, already feeling her eyes growing heavier as she made the familiar trip back to her chambers. Elsa hummed blissfully, still getting used to how easily Anna brought out that peacefulness in her. And, like always, a pang of guilt wrenched in her stomach for keeping her away for so many years.

But she swallowed that pain, determined to put it behind her. She searched for the clock. A small smile perked at the corner of her mouth, happy that her sister had gone to bed when she instructed and hadn't stuck around. She loved Anna, but there were still some secrets, some memories, she liked to keep stolen away for herself. And this was one of them.

The sun had already begun its ascent, filling the sky with layers of pink and purple hues. It wasn't the sunrise that pulled at the warmth deep inside her – but the great ship who finally took its rightful place on her horizon.

The Jewel of the Realm – the kingdom of Corona's pride and joy. Notorious for its mighty strength and agile speed, the _Jewel _had a lasting reputation that dated centuries. And it was always the first to port in their harbor when they were visited by the King and Queen of Corona.

A flood of memories washed over Elsa, just as they always did. She'd witnessed the _Jewel _sail on their horizon numerous times from the windowsill of her bed chambers as a kid. Isolated in her room, she often dreamed of boarding a similar boat and running away.

But it wasn't just the ship – it was the ship's Captain.

Captain Liam Jones.

She smiled as she thought about the first time she'd met him. It'd been by accident; but in those days, meeting anyone who wasn't introduced to her by her parents was an accident.

It was one of their annual visits from their sister kingdom, the _Jewel _docking in their harbor and a welcoming ball scheduled for that night. Elsa had been fourteen at the time, a gangly princess with boney elbows, chubby cheeks, and eyes too big for her face. And of course – her ice powers. So, as per usual, her mother and father would start the ceremony off by introducing the royal family; Elsa and Anna would make an appearance, bow, and be escorted back to their bedrooms.

By then, Elsa would have been of a proper age to be invited to stay, spending the appropriate hours meeting the right people and making the right connections that a queen-to-be needed to make. But her parents insisted to their guests that Anna would grow jealous of being excluded from all the merriment. Though, that was an excuse, and Elsa knew it. And she was more than happy to stay out of the lime-light, away from all the people; too scared of her uncontrollable powers.

But that didn't mean that she followed _all _of her parents' rules. She still loved the music and the gentle murmur of the guests talking. And in her special spot out right outside the castle ballroom, hidden away by the maze of their garden, Elsa found a place of solace as she hummed along to the slow tune of the orchestra.

_"Excuse me," _was the first thing she ever heard him say.

His intrusion on her special spot caused her to nearly jump out of her skin, racing her hands behind her back just in time for the ice from her fingertips to shoot out into the snow-filled bush behind her, muffling the impact. If the young man had noticed, he hadn't let on. Instead he took a step back, hand over his chest as he readied himself an apology.

_"I'm sorry, milady. I didn't mean to startle you. I seem to have found myself lost in this maze of a garden and I'm not sure I remember the way out," _his step closer to her was cautious as he finally moved into the light.

He was young, maybe three or four years her senior, she estimated, dressed in similar robes the other Corona sailors had dawned. And despite the rather unruly black curly hair on the top of his head, he was cute. Attractive enough to cause her cheeks to flush when she realized that she was alone with him at the moment.

He noticed her stare and straightened his stance, a friendly smile played on his lips as he bowed slightly, remembering his formal training. _"I seem to have forgotten my manners; very bad form. Please allow me to introduce myself: my name is Liam Jones, I am a sailor from the Corona Kingdom's Navy. And you are?" _

He didn't know who she was. He didn't know she was the eldest princess of Arendelle; he didn't know the reclusive reputation she held among the kingdom's people. He wasn't afraid of her or worried about offending her. She knew the minute he'd found out she was royalty, he'd flee immediately. And this was the first time in a long time she'd had someone other than her family or castle servants speak to her so freely.

She didn't want it to end, not before she got the chance to speak to him. So she smiled, nodding slightly as she finally addressed him with a low voice. _"My name is… Lady Joan." _She'd used a name she'd heard her sister call one of the paintings a hundred times when she heard her playing outside her bedroom door, and she secretly smiled. She took a tentative step forward, her hands still clasped together behind her back. _"I'm a waiting gentlewoman for the princesses. And the key to beating the garden is to either follow the hedge along the castle edge," _she pointed behind her, then pointed behind him, _"or the parameter of the pond, which ends near the garden entrance." _

Liam smiled, following her points and remembering her guidelines. He gave her a thankful nod, before chuckling. _"I owe you a great many thanks, miss. I was afraid I was going to be stuck in here until morning and miss my ride." _

Elsa let out a shy laugh, causing his grin to widen at being the cause of it. They stood in silence for a few long seconds, before Liam took a step back, suddenly feeling like he was over staying his welcome. She saw him retreat, and she mustered the courage to reach out to him, pausing him from leaving. As soon as her hand reach out, she pulled it back to her and cleared her throat before she took another step forward. _"Uhm, may I ask: how did you find yourself lost in the garden to begin with?" _He pulled his foot back to his prior stance, lowering his head in embarrassment at her query. _"Why aren't you at the ball like the others?" _

_"To be honest, Lady Joan, I'm not very fond of large crowds," _he admit, an understanding nod as his response from her. But it was a sad nod, causing her face to fall as her eyes replayed sullen memories. He wanted to see her smile again. _"And, you can't tell anyone – but I sort of don't know how to dance." _

That'd given him the reaction he'd wanted: a giggle. She found herself blushing as she responded. _"Neither do I." _

After that it'd been easier. He still did most of the talking, and there were a few moments of silence. He stayed on his side of the garden hide out, she on hers. He didn't push to move any closer to her, nor did he query as to why she kept her distant.

She could hear the musicians end their last song, and she panicked. _"I have to go; they're going to notice I'm gone if I don't leave now." _She gave a formal curtsy before she turned around, but over her shoulder she gave him a warm smile. _"It was very nice to meet you, Liam_."

He didn't have time to return the pleasantry; she rushed behind a row of bushes and he had a feeling if he tried to go after her, he'd surely get lost.

It would be three years before she saw him again, the night of her coming-out ball. Her parents had waited long enough to present her to the kingdom, if they'd waited any longer it would raise suspicion. So they invited their sister kingdoms to the party. To Elsa, the ball was just a fancy way of letting the Princes from other kingdoms know that the King and Queen were ready to marry off their daughter. But she knew that wasn't going to happen. By then, she'd become so recluse within the kingdom that the only time she left her room was when she knew her sister was out of the wing, or at night when everyone was asleep.

Since Anna was no longer too young to keep away from these events, their parents came up with a new excuse to keep Elsa from having to stay the entire night. After she was presented, her name called out to the ballroom and she walked down the stairwell, she would fain ill and retreat back to her bedroom.

And that's what Elsa had done. She tried not to pull at her gloves as she reminded herself to breathe in the too-tight crystal blue ball gown. By now she'd grown into a very beautiful young woman, and she continued to stare straight forward at no one as every eye in the room was on her. By the time she made it down the steps, she approached her parents as she wrapped her arms around her stomach. They pretended to exchange words, then Elsa left the room. She could hear her father announce to the guests their cover story, and a part of her felt so ashamed.

She was supposed to go straight to her bedroom, but she needed air. And anyone who was anyone would be in the room she just left. So she sprinted for the garden and made her way through the maze until she approached her hide out. She dropped down to her knees and started to cry, something that had become almost a weekly occurrence for her at the time; whenever she thought about how disappointing she was as a daughter or every time she heard her estranged sister call out to her from the other side of her door.

Her head shot up when she heard footsteps in the grass, and she noticed the flurries that surrounded her. She panicked, fixing her face and slowing down her breathing enough to make the snowflakes disappear.

A man approached the opening opposite of her, and she felt her breathing quicken. He stood there tentatively, dawning a uniform similar to the prior one, but with more dressing. He was older, his shoulders had widened into a brawny build that matched the foot or two he'd grown since the last time she saw him. His face was fuller and more distinguished, he certainly was much more handsome than she remembered. His hair was shorter, but still curly – and it made her smile. _"Liam?" _

His face was serious, his stance upright, his jaw straight. _"Princess Elsa_," he greeted, bowing low before he rose and met her eyes.

She recoiled at the title, realizing that her cover was blown. She swallowed, lowering her eyes from his. _"I thought you didn't like to go to crowded parties." _

_"I don't," _he replied, taking a few steps closer than he probably should have. When he left her the first time, he thought he was just leaving a young maid. And when he returned, he looked forward to meeting her again and he'd hoped to have done so in the ballroom that night. But as her entrance down the staircase proved, he'd actually been in the company of the kingdom's princess. And he was now conflicted with his nobility to stay true to his good form, which meant turning on his heels at this very minute; or going against his honor and stay in her company for as long as she would have him. It seemed his feet were already making the decision for him; he was now standing just a step away from her, peering down at her unmet eyes. _"But in our time apart, a lot has changed. I've been promoted to Lieutenant of the Jewel, you've been promoted to a princess… and I have learned how to dance. Quite well, if I do say so myself." _

Elsa chuckled, finally meeting his gaze. He held out his hand to her, a simple gesture to help her stand up. Instead, she stood up on her own, but his hand remained. She then realized he was offering it to dance. _"I uh – I still don't know how to dance." _

_"I can teach you, if you'll allow it." _

She hadn't told him no, not outright. But again and again, she claimed it wasn't the right song. In between they sat on the separate benches and talked, like they had before. It was mostly him telling her about his tales out at sea.

He seemed to understand though, on some level, that sitting and listening were comfortable to her. And the night ended the same: her rushing away after the last song, leaving him with a goodbye and a smile.

Soon after that was the ship wreck that stole away her parents, and suddenly her dreams of running off to sea were only nightmares.

She saw him four more times in the three years before her coronation. In that time, he'd been promoted to Captain of the _Jewel_, which meant that he got to spend a lot more time with her within the castle walls, discussing diplomacy, funerals, and approaching coronations between his King and Queen and Elsa. When the sun went down and the moon was at its highest, that's when they met in their usual spot.

At first she'd been too scared, the scars of losing her parents were too fresh. But the last day of his visit, she met him out there; she on her side, he on his. They hadn't said anything, not a word. But he'd been there, and that'd been enough. The next time, she was there the first night, though still no words were exchanged. It took until the third visit for them to speak again, her initiating the conversation. She missed his stories, his nautical tales, his warm laugh… the way he'd made her laugh. It'd been years since she'd even conjured a genuine smile.

She asked him about his promotion to Captain, the struggles and responsibilities. He'd been happy to answer her queries, steering the conversation the way he always had, the way he knew she was always thankful for. She'd even opened up about the apprehension she felt toward her coronation. But in all their time together, she'd never reached out to him, never touched him. They'd always sat at least a foot apart from each other, and she'd always kept her hands clenched or tight to her chest.

But now – _now_ – everything was different. She was confident in her powers, she wasn't scared any more, and she knew how to control them. And she had Anna by her side again. She was _happy_, and her kingdom was thriving.

She could finally open up to him, and the thought made her anxious, wondering if he'd be interested in her after he found out the truth.

Hours passed before the ship finally sailed into the harbor. In that time, she ran around frantically getting the kingdom ready, even taking a trip down to the docks to make sure everything was perfect. Then she got ready, not sure if she was going through two or three outfits because she wanted to look regal enough to impress her royal family… or because of the Captain that would be joining them.

She heard the trumpet wail, sounding the arrival of their guest at the entrance of the castle. She hustled down the corridor with an excited smile on her face.

Queen Rapunzel and King Eugene of Corona were family… in some way. Like Anna had mentioned, they weren't really clear exactly how they were related. But they'd insisted Elsa and Anna referred to them as Aunt Rapunzel and Uncle Flynn – Elsa sensed there was more to the story, but she'd never pressed to ask nor had it been offered.

Deep down, she was still worried about how they would react to her powers. She almost thought about hiding them again, but she knew that wouldn't end well. She would never have to hide her powers again, and she need to revel in that.

Her thoughts faded as her eyes melted into _his_. Bright sea blue melting into icy gray. She looked over the rest of him, taking in the subtle changes the year had brought him. His jaw bore a slight layer of stubble, giving him a true sea-bearing look that reminded her of pirates. The thought made her cheeks flush slightly.

She tore her eyes away to search for her relatives, her face falling as she realized they weren't there and a panic swept over her that something had happened. Flashes of the soldiers who'd brought them the news about their parents' ship wreck replying behind her eyes.

Behind her, Anna was making her way to join them, straining herself to hear what the sailor was announcing. Kristoff was slowly following her.

"Queen Elsa," Captain Jones greeted, bowing properly as she finally stood before him. He noticed the change in her expression, then began to look in the air above her. He heard a slight gasp from one of his men behind him. He pulled out a parchment, hasty to continue talking. "Your majesty, your aunt and uncle, the Queen and King of Corona, wanted me to pass along a message for you and your sister." Elsa felt her entire body relax, composing herself. "They were not able to make the journey with us, as the Queen went into labor earlier than expected. On our trip, we received word that she gave birth to a healthy baby boy."

Elsa's heart grew joyful for their relatives, and she could hear Anna squeal behind her as she wrapped her arms around Elsa for a huge hug. "Aw, I can't wait to meet our little cousin! I hope they don't name him Eugene Jr., or something like that. No offense to Uncle Flynn or anything, there's just so many other –" she stopped talking when she looked up at her sister and saw her grinning at the Captain. Then she looked at the way the Captain was giving her sister a knowing smile. She felt like she'd missed something.

The Captain cleared his throat when he noticed Anna's scrutiny, and before she could say anything he turned to address his company. "I have with me my men, Corona's finest Navy sailors."

Elsa smiled to all of them, "We prepared rooms in our North Wing to house you all until the end of your stay. If you have no further action, Captain Jones, I see no reason why they cannot be dismissed for the rest of the day to unwind for their travels and settle in. The servants will lead them."

The Captain nodded, turning to his men and dismissing them officially. By the time they all left, there were five people left standing in the great hall. "And I am proud to present our newly appointed Lieutenant," he gestured for the man who had stayed by his side albeit the dismissal, "Killian Jones, my little brother."

"_Younger _brother, mate," Killian corrected, the scowl on his brow revealed this was a normal back and forth between the two. But his face immediately sobered when he realized his bad form, standing to attention before he bowed deeply to the Queen and Princess. "My apology, your majesty."

Further scrutiny revealed that there was a resemblance between the two: jet black hair, same facial structure, same accent, and they both had piercing blue eyes. Elsa's only response was a loud giggle, looping her arm with Anna's. "I understand, Lieutenant. I'm an older sister. And this," she said to the Jones brothers, "is my younger sister Anna. Trust me, we have our back and forths." Kristoff cleared his throat behind her, causing Elsa to roll her eyes and smirk. "And how could I forget: her fiancé, Kristoff."

The sailors all bowed to the Princess and her fiancé. The Captain looked between Elsa and Anna, lingering a bit longer at Elsa as he smiled at the younger sister. "It's nice to finally meet you, Princess Anna. And you, Kristoff. Captain Liam Jones, at your service."

"Oh, please. Just call me Anna," she waved him off, still looking between the two of them. Finally, her curiosity got the better of her. "Do you two know each other? Like, from before today."

Liam chuckled, nodding. "I've had the pleasure of making her acquaintance for a time or two when I've sailed in with the King and Queen."

"I helped him find his way out of the garden one year during a ball. We've been friends ever since," Elsa explained, and Liam was surprised at how open she was about their encounters.

Anna seemed to accept this answer, nodding her understanding.

Liam swayed on his feet slightly as he cleared his throat, addressing Elsa now. "So, I heard you had a rather chilly spring season last year."

"Chilly?" Anna jumped in. "She _froze_ all of Arendelle."

"With your _ice _powers," Liam finished, smiling knowingly at Elsa as he did. "That you expel from your hands."

Her brow furrowed as she tried to make sense of how he said that. "How did – you _knew_, didn't you? How?"

He chuckled, stepping forward and offering his hand for her to take. It was a gesture he'd made countless times over the years. And for the first time, she placed her palm in his, without hesitation. He was surprised, but kept his composure as he tried to keep from pulling her close to him. Instead, he squeezed her hand and answered her query. "That first night we met and I stumbled upon you hiding in the garden, I startled you. It had already snowed, but I saw the ice shoot from your hand and into the bush. And then after your parents, those few times we sat in silence, more than once did snow flurries surround you. Like they did today when you thought something bad had happened to your aunt and uncle."

Elsa listened to him, feeling her restrain himself from pulling him to her as he squeezed her hand once again. She couldn't believe that all this time, he knew. He knew the monster she thought she was and continued to be around her. "Why – why didn't you tell me you knew?"

"You didn't even tell me your real name when we met," he said with a chuckle, finally releasing her hand when he realized how long he'd been holding it. _Bad form_. "If you wanted to address it, you would have. I'm glad to see you acting much more comfortable with your powers now. But tell me, why were you so afraid of me knowing?"

"My parents were scared of my powers, especially since I didn't know how to use them. It wasn't until the _incident _that I finally learned what I needed to know to control them," she replied, giving a sweet smile to her sister. "I was afraid that my aunt and uncle may have felt the same way about magic; and that you would be afraid of me."

To her surprise, Liam laughed loudly, turning to his brother who was shaking his head, a hearty smile on his lips as well. When he calmed, he explained. "It seems your aunt has a lot to fill you in on, love." _Did he just call the Queen 'love'? Bad form, Jones._ He cleared his throat. "The only reason the Queen was born was because of a magic flower. Her story is grand and herculean, but to shorten: the flower gave her magical life rejuvenating hair, but only if it was never cut. If you've ever seen pictures of your aunt when she was a baby, you'll notice she has bright blonde hair – that's the flower. At the height of her adventure, it was cut and turned brown."

"Weird," Anna piped in, "Elsa turned my hair white. It must be a hair gene thing. But do you know what this means, Elsa? There are other places who accept magic!"

Elsa was speechless until Liam nodded. "Killian here just ran into a young Princess when we ported in Mist Haven. She was born with the lightest magic due to being the daughter of a True Love couple." Killian nodded to his brother's words, a slight flush blanketing his cheeks at the thought of said princess.

Anna gushed, "She sounds _wonderful, _Elsa. We must go find her one day and meet her!"

Elsa smiled, "I'm sure we will have plenty of time to talk about the possibilities while they're here. As custom, a ball will be held tonight. Now in your honor."

"Sounds lovely," Liam grinned, forgetting about the other company in the room as he went on. "But tell me, milady, have you yet learned how to dance?" A blush washed over her cheeks as she bit her lip, a small shake of her head told him she hadn't. His smiled widened, "My offer still stands to teach you. Just let me know when the right song comes along."

"Aye, aye, Captain."


End file.
